9 Responses to Tecsun PL-880 Operation Manual Published

Amateur radio operator here – looking to do a little more SWL. I’ve got a Grundig Globe Traveler G3 on my Holiday wish list from my wife or whomever (I have a birthday too) – is there enough additions in the PL-880 to justify the cost? I’d like SSB receive. It looks like the 880 adds some DSP? The speaker looks a lot nicer as well.

Matthew, I should have a good idea how well the PL-880 performs and post something here this time next week. I have the Grundig G3, Tecsun PL-660, and Sony ICF-SW7600GR, for comparison. The PL-880 is up against good competition!!!

I don’t know about the 880, but I have a G3 and it’s not a good radio. I have a number of SW receivers and the G3 has the unenviable roll of being in my collection because of it’s badness. It’s kind of the “Plan 9 From Outer Space” of shortwave radios. It has the worst audio of any radio I’ve ever encountered. It almost makes my ears bleed. My receivers range from a Drake R8 to a Degen DE321 and the G3 comes in dead last. Go for a Sony 7600gr, Tecsun PL660 or even a Kaito 1103, just avoid the G3!

I have a Tecsun PL-398BT that I like. It is pretty hot on AM – I like to listen to 1030 WBZ from 400 miles away in the morning, and at night there is something on nearly every frequency. Very good on FM as well – outside, from the roof, I can lock a stereo signal on every station within 100 miles. Shortwave is decent. An impressive receiver in a package not much bigger than a paperback, with the benefit of playing through a Bluetooth coonection, for under $80. There are no perfect radios, so I am looking for something with SSB, and better sound fidelity. I am interested in the 880 vs. 660 vs. 7600GR, but also how about the PL-880 vs. Sangean 909X? Both are DSP radios, both have SSB, both reputedly with good sound.

Anon-co has listed the 880 as shipping, for $159.99. Kaito has also raised the price on Amazon to $159.99, but this is still a “pre-sale”. Oh- and Anon-co has listed another version of the 880, in grey!

Hi! Congrats for the new toy!
My two short questions: about the volume…it has analog, conventional potentiometer or the volume is by steps?…if yes, does it has annoying jumps from zero to loud volume as other Tecsun´s models? (I would like to use it at very low volume without earbuds).
Second: what about the sound quality?
TIA

Could tell me if in this radio TECSUN PL880 theradio alarm volume level can be preset to any desired level below 10 during radio alarm operation?.
In previous models like TECSUN PL-390 and TECSUN PL-398 the volume level for radio alarm operations could only be set to work above step 10 out of 30 and it was too loud to wake me up, and as I would like to use the new TECSUN PL-880 as a bedroom radio I want to make myself sure this radio will allow me to set the volume for the radio alarm to any desired level of mine, even below volume step 10.
Thanks!

I just received a TECSUN PL-880 as a birthday present, this is my first shortwave radio and I am having a hard time in trying to figure it out how to use it… The user manual that came with the radio is not user friendly and it doesn’t explain clearly on how to use it.. I like the radio, and I would like to learn to use the shortwave futures,, Is there any manual out there with more detail explanation on how to use it ?
Thanks
Regards